August 12, 2011

The Solidarity Singers normally meet in the center of the Capitol rotunda at noon to sing pro-union protest songs, but they take their sing-along outside on Fridays.

A heated political argument ensued between one of the singers and another man who was observing the sing-along. Meanwhile, another singer confronted Althouse, who was filming the encounter. According to the singer, Kirby Jones, Althouse aggressively forced her camera in his face and he pushed it away from him. According to Althouse, Jones tried to grab her camera out of her hands and her son struggled with the man to hold onto the camera. Althouse's son had a small cut on his wrist after the altercation.

Of course, I have it on video. I was standing filming a man who was ranting about how Jesus would be on the anti-Scott Walker side. This man blows a vuvuzela right in my face more than once. He's yelling at a man who is a Christian minister, but was never given much of a chance to say anything. Then a very angry guy comes up and violently snatches my camera, but can't get it out of my hand. He tries a second time, and he also hits me. My son detached the man's hand from mine. Anyway, I have this on video, but I need to edit and upload.

UPDATE: I responded to the reporter's phone call and she's updated the text at the link to say:

... Meanwhile, another singer confronted Althouse, who was filming the encounter. According to the singer, Kirby Jones, Althouse forced her camera in his face and he pushed it away from him. Althouse denied that she forced her camera, saying Jones tried to grab her camera out of her hands and "swatted" her arm. Althouse's son struggled with Jones to hold onto the camera, and had a small cut on his wrist after the altercation.

I held my camera up with my elbow at approximately a right angle. The man yanked my hand toward him. Twice. He wasn't even anyone I was photographing, just a guy who got up in my face.

UPDATE 2: A post with video from Meade's camera and — soon — mine is here.

Ah, the peaceful tolerant left at work again. Can UK or Greek style riots by these people be far behind should this country elect politicians who actually have the nads to reform our unsustainable welfare state?

Holy God. I hope it was more surprising/annoying than frightening. Good on your son for putting a stop to it. Once again, the Madison protesters demonstrate that they are the lowest form of political animal in this country. Hateful little idiots, every one of them. Solidarity!

Madison has become a model for what the nation might look like were a Tea Party candidate elected to POTUS in 2012.

I'm sorry liberals, but where are the violent Tea Party antics that match this unilateral nonsense? You guys can reach and stretch and try to blame Oslo and Giffords on the Tea Party, but regular people don't buy it.

The police took down our statements, and I said I didn't want the man arrested, actually. The police told Chris that by intervening to stop a man from grabbing and hitting me that he (Chris) risked arrest for disorderly conduct, that he'd be well advised to retreat. Retreat while someone is attacking your mother?!

The police told Chris that by intervening to stop a man from grabbing and hitting me that he (Chris) risked arrest for disorderly conduct, that he'd be well advised to retreat. Retreat while someone is attacking your mother?!====Welcome to London on the Mendota.

Unreal that the cop saw fit to say that. Did he think he was being helpful or was he being obliquely intimidating? There's no telling with those insane public employees that seem to overpopulate your Capitol.

wv: heman

guess that would be your son, not the guy who a blew a horn in your grill

"The police told Chris that by intervening to stop a man from grabbing and hitting me that he (Chris) risked arrest for disorderly conduct, that he'd be well advised to retreat. Retreat while someone is attacking your mother?!"

Is this an accurate description of the self defense laws in Wisconsin? Here we are allowed to use reasonable for in defense of a third person.

Do these singing people ever work? My wife & I went to a wedding in Madison a few weeks ago. We walked 3 blocks on State Street & never saw so many bums & street people in one place. The number of empty store fronts was amazing. The wealth distribution folks have not succeeded in making small businesses thrive. We were told by the hotel bellman to go to State street & enjoy the stroll. By the way, my wife & I grew up in Chicago.

The police told Chris that by intervening to stop a man from grabbing and hitting me that he (Chris) risked arrest for disorderly conduct, that he'd be well advised to retreat. Retreat while someone is attacking your mother?!

Yes, the cops expect us to be passive and retreat, even in our own homes. If not they will arrest you. It's easier than arresting the people who cause the trouble--after all those people are violent and aggressive and a cop might get hurt. But law-abiding people don't cause trouble for cops, they're the perfect people to arrest.

This is why some Southern and Western states have "castle doctrines"--that when attacked in one's own home or car, one has no duty to retreat.

A few weeks ago various blogs linked to a report in (I think) a serious medical journal that blowing a vuvuzela spreads as many germs as sneezing without covering your mouth. Blowing a vuvuzela at someone from close range is therefore arguably assault in two different ways, for the germs as well as the damage to the target's hearing.

Here's a related question for lawyers: isn't spitting on someone legally a form of assault? This seems to be worse, since spitting doesn't damage hearing.

Anyway, I'm too lazy to search for the link, but thought I'd mention it, since it seems to strengthen our hostess' ethical and (if she wants to sue) legal case.

I'm also very curious as the evidence that defending one's mother from physical assault is actually disorderly conduct under Wisconsin law. Was the policeman misinformed? Or does the Wisconsin legislature have one more stupid law to repeal?

The police told Chris that by intervening to stop a man from grabbing and hitting me that he (Chris) risked arrest for disorderly conduct, that he'd be well advised to retreat. Retreat while someone is attacking your mother?!

The warning to Chris was that he "risked arrest for disorderly conduct."Regardless of the law, anytime you are involved in an altercation you "risk arrest." The cop on the scene will use some discretion about that, of course, but discretion goes both ways.That said, if I were in Chris' shoes, I would certainly interpret the cop's remarks as a "put that civilian in his place" type of thing.

Suggestion: Having played both unedited and edited surveillance video in court many times, editing has a sinister connotation, particularly for people who don't like what's on the tape. I'm sure you want to shorten and make it a better presentation. However, I've learned if I have less than a half hour of tape it's usually best to just play the raw footage. Take the conspiracy theories out of the equation. Be less artistic and more investigative.

Those people commenting on/at the WSJ column are lost. They're doing the old "culture of right wing hate" fan dance. They love being violent, and cheer on every raving asshole who screams down a schoolgirl or manhandles a woman, but they refuse to publicly own it. Like that makes a difference. We all know who, and what, they really are. Deep down, so do they. Loathsome, fearful, little grubs, petrified that their true nature will be exposed.

The police told Chris that by intervening to stop a man from grabbing and hitting me that he (Chris) risked arrest for disorderly conduct, that he'd be well advised to retreat. Retreat while someone is attacking your mother?!

If that were me, with my mother, and I were arrested, I would insist on a jury trial. Who would convict a son of protecting their mother?

The proper response to someone blowing a vuvuzela at you is to hit it at them, hard, so it splits their lips. If you can make it look accidental while you do that, all the better.

"[H]e'd be well advised to retreat. Retreat while someone is attacking your mother?!"

And, don't forget to ask, after each step, "Are you comfortable with the distance between us?" Then, continue backing away until such time as an affirmative answer is received or you can no longer hear/see the person that you were clearly assaulting with your presence.

The police told Chris that by intervening to stop a man from grabbing and hitting me that he (Chris) risked arrest for disorderly conduct, that he'd be well advised to retreat. Retreat while someone is attacking your mother?!

Ann, please tell us what station the Madison Police are from that you gave the report too. We have friends in Southern Wisconsin ready to go stand outside and call the Police "Pussies" to their faces and on signs (they'll throw in printed names for union members for a bonus).

Really. What the hell is wrong with people in Madison? What the HELL is WRONG with the people up there that the police can't do a basic job of law enforcement?

Sorry this happened to you; it must have been frightening. Glad your son was with you.

Perhaps you could post two links: an unedited version of the event, for those who want to see the whole thing with their own eyes; and an edited version for those who don't want to wade through half an hour of extraneous stuff before getting to the goods.

"...The police told Chris that by intervening to stop a man from grabbing and hitting me that he (Chris) risked arrest for disorderly conduct, that he'd be well advised to retreat. Retreat while someone is attacking your mother?!.."

Disturbing the peace is a chicken shit charge that any copper can use for nearly anything they want. The problem with asking for an arrest is that you might log time in court for no real result other than a small fine if you're lucky. The problem with getting written for disburbing is that you will be out of pocket dollars even if you you're cleared in the end. Still if someone threatened my Mom (when she was still alive), I would have defended her and not even thought about a charge as any man would do. You need real unbiased cops in MadTown.

FedkaTheConvict said...For those of you criticizing Althouse...to me she's saying that if she pressed charges against the guy, her son would have been arrested too since they were borh involved in the scuffle.

Why would she want to see her son arrested?

==================Have to admit it would have made for an incredibly juicy local and perhaps national story about a son arrested by dumb cops for stopping a registered sex offender from laying his mitts on said son's momma

Major props to Althouse and son. Not pressing charges was a good decision by Althouse because it protected her son from spurious assault charges. I've been charged with assault a couple of times (never convicted) and it is a pain in the ass to deal with.

I should add that I don't really know if Kirby is a registered sex offender or not - or if he is what sort of sex assault he was involved in.Smooth skinned little boys?A tempting adolescent boy, making him a pederast, not a pedophile? A woman?An underaged girl he tapped?

BTW - One of the most cunning things the "gay mafia" ever did was disassociate gay priests tapping mostly willing teen boys from gays and their tradition of pederasty - by terming them "pedophile priests". Then explaining that pedophilia was a condition having NOTHING to do with homosexuality in who the kiddie Kuddler chose to tap.Hollywood and the liberal media played the spin beautifully. Even more impressive when it was a time where gay Catholic priests in Ireland, USA, and Haiti were dropping like flies from AIDs.

Adding to C4's last comment it would have been delightfull for Ann as a lawyer to defend her son if that were to ocuur and the subsequent lawsuit against the Madison PD.

Too bad the governor didn't go for broke and kill the police and fireman's unions as well and topped it off with a state right to work act. Maybe if the republicans get lucky next week they should go for broke and ban civil service unions outright in WI. It isn't like the unions are doing the taxpayers a favor with their money.

The police told Chris that by intervening to stop a man from grabbing and hitting me that he (Chris) risked arrest for disorderly conduct, that he'd be well advised to retreat. Retreat while someone is attacking your mother?!

After all that has happened in and around the capitol I'm REALLY interested in what this police WOULD call "disorderly conduct"

(PS If this Capitol policemen is an example of the Capitol police in general then I can safely assume he fully understands the meaning of "retreat".)

"Here's a related question for lawyers: isn't spitting on someone legally a form of assault? This seems to be worse, since spitting doesn't damage hearing."

Spitting on someone is battery, not assault. Whether a deliberate infliction of a loud noise is battery is an interesting question. Last time I really worried about the law of battery was for the bar exam, but if the sound could inflict physical injury I'm pretty sure it would be.

The Althouse decision not to seek an arrest seems perfectly defensible to me. What obligation does she have to endure the expense and inconvenience? Anyway, the cops do not need her say so to make an arrest.

Saint Croix:I think you meant to ask whether Althouse didn't press charges because she thought letting the bastard get away with it would defuse (remove the fuse or firing-pin from) the situation - not "diffuse" it (spread it all around).

Of course, putting a film of the guy's face and actions all over the "world-wide" web will "diffuse" the situation very effectively.

wv: nolet - Latin for "he/she/it will refuse". I wonder which character in the story it refers to.

Major props to Althouse and son. Not pressing charges was a good decision by Althouse because it protected her son from spurious assault charges.

What happens a lot with a misdemeanor is that if you go to a magistrate and swear out a complaint, the defendant will also go to the magistrate and swear out a complaint against you. The hope is that cross-complaints will make both charges disappear.

As a tactic, it doesn't really work if somebody got the crime on film.

If the cops saw the attack, I think they should have arrested the guy. It definitely sounds like an assault to me.

But if they didn't see it, it's up to the victim to press charges. And a lot of victims just let stuff like this go.

Photographing the diurnal activities of Kirby Jones is similar in risk to feeding peanut butter to bears. Such creatures are unpredictable and irritable, especially during the rutting or protest season.....My first response was to say that you had buried the lede in that the cop seemed to act in a far more annoying way than Kirby Jones. But perhaps the charitable explanation is that the cop simply did not wish to be involved in a kerfuffle. Street wise people like Kirby Jones know enough to file counter assault charges, and it would all come to nothing in the end......In any event I'm glad you survived your encounter and recommend long distance lens in the future. Perhaps if you played a Joan Baez song while taking photos, it would soothe them, or maybe wore a tie died t shirt for camoflage while taking close ups.

No one's declaring judgment, we're all speculating as to the severity, circumstances, identities, etc. involved. But one way or another, I have a feeling that we are going to get an up close and personal look at the quality of the people who make up the Madison protesters.

I notice garage mohel doesn't give any direct quotations, or (even better) a URL so the rest of us could see what he's seeing on Twitter. Afraid we'll see just how mouth-frothingly insane some of the people (verbally) attacking Althouse are? Any death wishes or threats in the tweets? Inquiring minds want to know.

I am in the UK at the moment and until the riots the sentiment was that you had best not protect yoursef, much better to retreat and leave the matter to the police. Well. They have seen the police not at work and even the lefties here are considering the efficacy of surrender and flight. Good for the Professor's son to step in and the cop should be told to fuck off. If they are useless then they should step aside.

I was there with Ann, Meade & Chris. The two men were extremely provocative. The Professor's restraint was remarkable. Everything Jones says is BS. I had him a foot from my face yelling at me because I spoke with Ann & Meade. Followed me if I walked away still yelling epithets at me for the benefit of the crowd.

I was there with Ann, Meade & Chris. The two men were extremely provocative. The Professor's restraint was remarkable. Everything Jones says is BS. I had him a foot from my face yelling at me because I spoke with Ann & Meade. Followed me if I walked away still yelling epithets at me for the benefit of the crowd.

First time commenter here. (I've hesitated in the past because my LJ handle here happens to be similar to long-time commenter Pogo, and he ain't me.)

Even though Ann indicated that she did not want her assailant arrested, I hope that the police investigate the matter anyway, with input from Ann and others. If the video and other evidence show a clear battery, I hope the assailant will be arrested even though Ann initially said she didn't want that.

If he "did it," arrest and prosecute him. It is precisely the pacifism (as to pressing charges) of good folks like Ann, that turds like this take advantage of. It emboldens them for further and worse batteries in the future. "I can do this in broad daylight, on camera even, and get away with it." I hope he doesn't.

Why don't you ask Althouse? Maybe Sofa King could run a search on him on CCAP. Or, maybe Triangle Man and Madison Man could speculate with some internet searches. It would be highly irresponsibnle not to!

What I don't understand -- as I have said here many times -- is why do people try to prevent filming when, clearly, the people who are being filmed want to be seen? The thing being filmed is being done precisely so that others may see it and, presumably, be affected by it as the performer intends.

I mean, if a loony leftist does performance art in the forest and nobody is around to see it or record it, what's the point?

A Madison Capitol policeman/night watchman who spins a story about conversations he has with statues "come-to-life" after hours could be quite interesting. All of the famous and infamous former Wisconsin politicians of yore could step forward in time and tell us their opinions of the significance of modern events in both Wisconsin and national politics. I'm talking an updated oration from Robert "Fighting Bob" LaFollette on the true meaning of being a “Progressive”; a soliloquy or two from Joe McCarthy on what a real political “witch hunt” means (hint: not going after Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann); and Bill Proxmire could appear and chastise modern Democrats regarding deficit spending.

Now who should play the role of the intrepid night watchman: surely not Ben Stiller. It should be an amateur actor…an unknown…like garage mahal.

Probably because it's embarassing to garage. "Preacher" is an interesting term: spoken by a member of a congregation, it has no more or less meaning than priest. It's a little more colloquial than "reverend" or "father." But spoken by someone like garage, or more generally a modern enlightened doofus, it is a thoroughly contemptuous term, meant to evoke at best a rural man of the cloth or at worst, to liken him to Fred Phelps.

@chickenlittle: I think you nailed it. Note Althouse's description in comparison to garage mahal... "He's yelling at a man who is a Christian minister, but was never given much of a chance to say anything"

This wouldn't happen to Roesch Voltaire. He has actual black people living on his very block, which makes him feel extra special.

When he sees those black people at the fair trade coffee shop and they exchange leftist platitudes and talk about how teaching undergrads is drudgery these days -- well, that just makes him feel tingly inside.

garage mahal said...c-littleI think you should go lay down for a while or something. SOunds like you need it.

I wouldn't do it if I didn't care, garage, but I'll take a break from it now.______________wv = "halscion" noun arch. 18th c. the heir or decendant of the salt of the earth. From hal (Gk =salt) + scion (offshoot or twig).

In this weeks episode of the "Jersey Shore" the Situation picks up this blond college age chick and takes her back to the Smush room and feeds her the bracoli. After they are done he walks her through the house to a cab. It was slam bam thank you maam and the other roommates where still stuffing their faces to ward off a hangover in the kitchen. As she is walking out the door Snookie screams "See you later whore!!!!"

They choose a public place to sing their songs and perform their protest, but don't want to be filmed. Strange. That a couple violently attack someone filming it is stranger.

Maybe they should find a cave or basement somewhere to hold their protests. Until then, they better be glad it wasn't me and my 295 lb football player son, case there wudda been some serious ass kicking. Although, I guarantee you the pussy that attacked a woman wouldn't dare attack me or my son. (Obviously, my son's genetics didn't just appear out of the ether.)

Trooper...Madison is a proudly atheist enclave of the best educated folks in a 300 mile radius.

This crowd wants to surround the Capitol that symbolizes to them the rule by faith traditions which Walker represents to them, and is seeking to expel him and Christians from what they claim to be their territory.

The Professor was not only "on the wrong side," she was associated with a Christian preacher's presence at that moment, and the leader's true colors emerged.

All your "is anyone but me worried about the violence" post here regarding others comments here, and an actual assault occurs and you poo-poo it. Fuck you Penquin, you hypocritical piece of shit. You post bullshit, or outright lies, take the theoretical high road, but in the end are just a lying piece of shit.

I'm sure this was already stated, but is this just another sign of the problem with this whole newspaper medium? Why he said, she denies routine. At least state that review of the video was inconclusive.